Tillis Hoard will serve as a court coach for the 2017 USA Basketball Women's U16 National Team Trials, Carol Callan, USA Basketball women's developmental national team director and committee chair, announced.

Tillis Hoard, the former Tillis Jones who married Rogerick Hoard in April, was selected along with Alicia Komaki from Sierra Canyon School (California), Dan Rolfes from Incarnate Word Academy (Missouri), and 2000 Olympic and two-time World Championship gold medalist Natalie Williams from the Williams Basketball Academy (Utah).

The 2017 USA Women's U16 National Team Trials will take place from May 25 to 29 at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The trials are expected to feature 35 invited athletes and 115 applicant athletes vying for one of 12 roster spots on the 2017 USA U16 National Team. Finalists for the team are expected to be announced on the morning of May 29.The coaching selections were made by the USA Basketball Women's Developmental National Team Committee.

During trials, the court coaches will assist 2017 USA U16 head coach Carla Berube (Tufts University), who will also serve as lead clinician, as well as 2017 USA U16 assistant coaches Steve Gomez (Lubbock Christian University) and Vanessa Nygaard (Windward School, California).

"These coaches have demonstrated success on and off the court in these areas, and Trenia and Natalie have experience with previous USA Basketball teams. Along with the USA U16 National Team coaches, we feel we have an excellent staff that will assist the athletes in performing during the trials and further developing their skills.""When selecting court coaches, we look for excellent teachers who have a good rapport with young athletes," Callan said.

Tillis Hoard returns to trials for the first time since 2001, when she was a court coach for the USA Women's World University Games Team Trials. In her 17th season (2000-01 to present) as the head coach at TJC, she led the Apache Ladies' to a 24-9 record last season. She boasts a 392-163 overall record (.706) at Tyler, and has helped the Apache Ladies to 24-or-more wins in each of the last four seasons.

After leading Tyler to a 30-6 record and NJCAA National Tournament Elite Eight appearance in 2013-14, she was named the 2014 WBCA Pat Summitt Junior College National Coach of the Year.

"The ability to learn and work with the caliber of coaches such as Berube, Gomez and Nygaard is invaluable," Tillis Hoard said. "I look forward to gaining knowledge from these coaches, my fellow court coaches and everyone within the USA Basketball community."

Prior to her tenure at TJC, Tillis Hoard served as an assistant coach at the University of Arkansas for four seasons from 1996-97 through 1999-2000.

Her playing career at Stephen F. Austin University from 1990-91 through 1993-94 forged her into a three-time all-Southland Conference selection, including earning 1994 Southland Conference Player of the Year honors.

She continued her career professionally in Spain before returning to Texas to coach.

"This is a blessing for a small town girl like myself in any capacity," added Tillis Hoard, who was a star at Grapeland High School. "There are not enough words to say how thankful I am that I get to fill this role as a court coach. I will pour everything that I have into this experience, as now for the second time I get an experience that I thought was only given once in a lifetime."